One Step At A Time
by GiveMeButterflies
Summary: Sequel to Separated, Together, and Alone. Established Tiva, as well as implied Jibbs. A new assignment brings Ziva and Tony together again as a married couple, but can they handle the togetherness, as well as the stress of the operation? T to be safe
1. Love

Chapter One-Love

Ziva looked over the contents of the manila folder the director had just given each of them. The operation was an undercover assignment for her and Tony. This time, instead of playing serial killers, they were mostly doing observation of an arm's dealer. They were supposedly very wealthy; Tony was going to be an intelligent investor and Ziva was a renowned computer engineer who worked out of the comforts of her own mansion. Their next door neighbor was Joshua Tormetski, AKA the Fox. Cheesy arms dealer code names.

The assignment wasn't a very huge deal, they just needed to observe his daily activities. Then, when they got a hold of his pattern, someone would go undercover. That someone remained undecided.

"Ready to become Mrs. Peterson?" Tony asked her.

"I suppose so, Elliot. You are so not an Elliot to me."  
"You definitely don't look like a Candace either. Oh well. At least now we're married," he said with a suggestive grin.

"Speaking of, we have to meet Abby in her lab, um, well, ten minutes ago."

They both jumped up from their desks and dashed past an entering McGee and into the elevator.

Abby sat in her lab, staring at her computer screen. She sighed, glancing at the clock again. Ten minutes ago Ziva and Tony were supposed to meet her. She grabbed her phone and called McGee.

"Special Agent McGee," he answered.

"Are Tony and Ziva there yet?" she asked defeatedly.

"They just left. They should be there about..."

"Now!" she cut him off and hung up the phone. "Don't you _ever _make me think you stood me up again!" she yelled at them.

"Sorry, Abby. What do you need?" Ziva apologized.

"Here," she handed them each a wedding band, along with an engagement ring for Ziva. "Put those on. No, Tony, your _left _hand!"

They did as she said, then Ziva said, "This feels kind of weird."

Tony agreed, which launched them into a conversation until Abby yelled at them to hush. "Now listen up. Ziva, these are for you." She handed her a pair of glasses with a camera installed in them. "It's a very advanced camera. All your footage will be beamed back to me, which I can digitally enhance. Your cell phones," she handed them a Blackberry each.

"Blackberries? Isn't that a little out of the budget?" Tony asked, holding his very carefully.

"Our budget, yes. Apparently not the CIA's. Now, any questions? I programmed my number, Gibbs', McGee's, and Jenny's in your phones, first full name only. As well as your's."

"Thanks Abs. I think we're good," Tony said, still practically cradling his Blackberry, and grabbed Ziva's hand. She agreed with him, and off they went.

They were so cute together.

Ziva and Tony were instructed to pack their things tonight, bring them to NCIS tomorrow where a moving truck would take it to their mansion, where they would arrive tomorrow morning. They were instructed to bring necessities in a carry on to bring with them the day they actually arrived. Tony could not wait to live in a mansion.

"Eh, I have been undercover in mansions much more luxurious than this," was Ziva's response.

"Huh," was all he could say, throwing more jeans into a suitcase.

"Tony, we are aristocrats. Can you at least _pretend _to dress like one?"

"It's not like we'll be doing much. Jeans are comfy."

She sighed in defeat, continuing to pack her own suitcase.

After the packing was done, Tony and Ziva were on his couch watching a movie, as usual. This one was very different from Tony's normal choice in movies; _West Side Story_.

"Why did you pick this movie?" Ziva asked about halfway through when she realized it was a romantic type of musical.

"I like it," was his simple response, his eyes glued to the screen. Ziva sighed, picked up the remote and paused the movie.

"Tony, what are we doing?"

"Trying to watch _West Side Story_. Why...?"

"Not actually _doing. _I mean, in our relationship."

'Why do you ask?"

"Because I want to know. We don't really _do _much."

"What are you talking about? Have you been completely absent for the past month or so?"

"I'm not exactly sure what I mean. I just need to know where we stand."

Ziva averted her gaze, not wanting to see Tony's face at that point. Tony, however, felt the complete opposite. He grabbed her face gently and pulled it towards his. "All you have to know, Ziva, is that I love you," he whispered. "Nothing else matters but that."

She practically melted when his arms encircled her and his lips crashed against hers.


	2. New Revelations

**As usual, I forgot the disclaimer. You know the drill; if I owned NCIS, Ziva and Tony would have been together by now.**

**Sorry for the lack of update! I've been really busy with school starting soon and the fair this week, but here you go!**

Chapter Two-New Revelations

Joshua Tormetski stared out the window of his luxurious office at the mansion next door. A moving truck had just pulled in the driveway and he was hoping to get a glimpse of his new neighbors. Of course, seeing as they're moving into a mansion, they hired people to do their moving for them. Typical.

He caught a glimpse of the name on one of the few boxes; Peterson. Generic.

He was so used to being neighborless that this whole situation actual scared him.

Tony and Ziva were driven to their new home by the director's limo and personal driver, as a favor from her. Tony was very excited just to be in a limo, let alone on his way to a huge mansion.

"Tony, if you are going to act this way, this will not be a very successful mission," Ziva scolded.

"Please, I know how to be undercover, believe me," was his witty response.

They arrived at their new home ten minutes later, riding in silence. The director's driver pulled right up to the front door, came around to the side of the limo, and opened the door for Tony and Ziva.

"Very nice place, right Candace?" Tony asked once they exited the limo, grabbing Ziva's hand.

"Oh yes," she answered, flashing him a grin, then proceeding to enter the house.

They were both completely flabbergasted by the entryway.

The front doors were huge mahogany double doors which led to a marble floored lobby, so to say. Directly in front of them was a marble staircase with intricately carved designs in the posts at the end and railings. There were bouquets of fresh flowers strategically placed so the entire room smelled delicious.

"This is beautiful," Ziva gasped. Tony merely nodded in response, at a loss for words.

"I love the CIA," he said when he regained his voice.

"You know, we're supposed to introduce ourselves to our new neighbors," Tony said to Ziva, wrapping his arm around her.

"That can wait," she said with a smile, pulling the Egyptian cotton sheet up. She snuggled in closer to him and rested a hand on his chest. They were in the luxurious master bedroom on the enormous bed. There were four doors in the room; one led to the master bathroom, two led to walk in closets—his and hers—and the other led to the sitting room, which then led out to the hallway.

It was all very foreign to Tony.

Just then, Tony's phone rang. "Jenny," he sighed.

"She sure knows how to ruin a moment," Ziva muttered, crawling out from underneath Tony's arm and over to the other side of the bed.

"DiNozzo...Um, no, we never got around to it...Yes, tomorrow...We do?...What time?...Okay...Yes, thank you...," Tony said."We have dinner reservations in two hours."  


Ziva stood in front of the full length mirror in her closet almost two hours later. Apparently there was no need for them to pack their own clothes; the CIA gave them each a very nice new wardrobe. She was wearing a strapless, red, slinky dress that went down to her ankles and had a slit straight up to her hip. She tried on various pairs of shoes and settled on a silver pair that were about four inches tall. She didn't even feel like herself.

She decided to straighten her hair in an attempt to control her thick curls. After standing in front of various mirrors—the mirror on her large vanity, the bathroom mirror, the full length in her closet, as well as the full length 3-way mirror in the sitting room—she decided that this was as good as it was getting.

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ears and stepped out of the closet—which could probably be considered its own room.

She heard Tony's exasperated sighs from the bathroom and went in through the open door. He was trying desperately to tie his bow tie and was having minimal success.

"Let me help," she said, offering assistance. He simply gaped at her.

"You...that...amazing," he breathed.

"Thank you. You would look amazing too if you tied your shoes and knew how to tie a bow tie," she teased.

He rolled his eyes and let her tie his bow tie for him.

As soon as they were ready they made their way downstairs and into the director's limo.

"Why are we going out to dinner again?" Ziva asked.

"Because apparently Joshua Tormetski has reservations for two at the same restaurant and we have to find out who the second person is. You have those glasses right?" he explained.

She nodded, pulling her surveillance glasses out of her purse and putting them on.

"I hate glasses. They make me look like a dweeb," she complained.

"I think you look beautiful."

They arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later and were seated immediately. It was rather small, but extremely fancy. They saw Tormetski only a few tables away from theirs, still sitting alone.

"Okay, I've got a visual," Ziva said to Jenny, Abby, and McGee via her earpiece.

"So do we!" Abby said. "I've heard the shrimp at that place is amazing!"

Ziva smiled to herself and opened her menu. She stared at it blankly for a few minutes, keeping one eye on Tormetski. A few minutes later, a blond woman joined his table. "Abby, he's got company!"

"I see, and I've got a still! Let me run her through the facial recognition program..."

No more than thirty seconds later Abby shrieked, "OH MY GOD!" in Ziva's ear, nearly deafening her.


	3. Surprise!

Chapter Three-Surprise!

Abby gaped at her computer, shocked at who was dining with the arms dealer.

"Abby?" Ziva questioned in her ear. "What is wrong? Who is it?"

"Abs? What is it?" McGee also asked in her ear.

"It's...I...this is...unbelievable!" she stuttered.

"Abby, how bad could it be, she's just eating dinner with an arms dealer," McGee pressed.

"It's...Jeanne. Benoit. She dyed her hair, apparently."

"Impossible. I think I would have recognized...oh my God. It is." Ziva was shocked. How could she have not noticed that?

"Okay, Candace, you're going to have to fill me in here. Who's the blondie?" Tony asked. Seeing as he wasn't facing the enemy's table, he didn't notice Jeanne. If he was sitting in the seat Ziva was, she was sure he would've noticed immediately.

"It's Jeanne," she sighed in defeat.

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Tony felt a sharp pang in his chest. _Jeanne. Jeanne Benoit is sitting less than ten feet from me._

"It does not appear that she has noticed Ton—er, Elliot—yet. Do you think we are in danger of being compromised?" Ziva asked, smiling at him, pretending they were just newlyweds in love.

She was silent then, either Abby, McGee, or Jenny answering her. Then she said, "Okay, thank you."

"What do we do?" he asked.

"We wait until we bring our food, then ask to get it to go, if you catch my drift. If Jeanne catches sight of you, she will definitely blow our cover."

He nodded, still in shock. She died her hair blond? What would possess her to do that? She was a naturally beautiful brunette...

What was he thinking?! He loves Ziva now, Jeanne was out of the picture. But it hurt so much just to see her.

"Are you all right, Elliot?" Ziva asked, reaching across the table and holding his hand.

"Yeah, just plain dandy," he snapped, which caused Ziva to pull her hand away.

"I'm sorry this had to happen, but don't lash out on me! Now, act like you're having fun!" she scolded.

He obeyed her, smiling and laughing at her, even though nothing she said was funny. It was all just a terrible, terrible act he couldn't wait to be through with.

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"Yes, I am absolutely sure of what I saw! When we were getting up to leave, she turned around, and clearly recognized Tony. I do not think she said anything to Tormetski though," Ziva explained to the director, pacing back and forth in one of the large living rooms.

"All right. I do not think it is suitable to end this mission so abruptly. We will figure this Jeanne thing out, Ziva. Don't worry about it," the director said.

"Okay. Should we still introduce ourselves to the neighbors like you told us?"

"Not until I give you the clear. Lay low for a while. Like I said, I'll take care of Jeanne."

"Thank you, Director," Ziva said, then heard a click on the other end. _Huh. Taking phone etiquette lessons from Gibbs, I see, _she thought.

She closed her own phone and stopped pacing, mid-thought.

_What did Jenny mean by she would 'take care' of Jeanne?_

"TONY!" she bellowed up the staircase. As if he could even hear her. Oh yeah. Intercom.

"Tony, could you come down here for a second please?" she asked politely.

She didn't get an answer, but she hadn't expected one. A few seconds later , he joined her in the living room. Well, one of them anyway.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeees?" he asked, exaggerating the word.

"What do you think the director would mean if she said that she would 'take care of Jeanne' so we could maintain our cover?"

"Did she say that?"

"Yes. I told her that Jeanne definitely recognized you, but did not say anything to us or Tormetski. She said we should lay low for a while until she gives us clearance to leave the house."

"She won't do anything harsh, don't worry about it. Now, how about we test out that jacuzzi tub?"

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Jeanne Benoit woke up to the shrill ringing of her cell phone. After the previous night's events, she just wanted to curl up and sleep for another week. She reluctantly answered it.

"Hello?" she said groggily.

"Miss Benoit, this is Director Jenny Shepard of NCIS," said a female voice on the other end.

"And what assistance to NCIS would I be, Director Shepard?" she asked, no longer wanting to relate to the agency any more than she has already had to.

"I understand that you came in contact with two of our agents last night, correct?" she asked, ignoring Jeanne's snide comment.

"Not entirely. I just saw them at a restaurant I was dining at. I didn't feel it was appropriate to converse with them." Jeanne recalled the events of the previous night.

_After working in various missionary hospitals for the past eight months, Dr. Jeanne Benoit decided it was time for change. She was still homeless, living in various motels for the time being. Apartment hunting was first on her to-do list._

_But before anything of that nature were to take place, she needed to change herself. She just needed to. After the tragic ending to her and Tony's relationship, she needed to start over. _

_She always wanted to be a blond._

_After a month of apartment hunting, she finally found the perfect one only a few blocks from the hospital. She definitely decided that this was a cause for celebration. No more Tony, no more old Jeanne. The new Jeanne was much more exciting._

_About a mile from her house there was a pretty upscale bar. She could use some company._

_And that is exactly what she found, Joshua Tormetski, a 6-and-a-half-foot-tall, green eyed, brown-haired beauty. She had a feeling that the interest in the other was mutual._

_They made plans to go out to dinner a week from that day at a much, much fancier, exclusive restaurant. She could not wait._

_But she was mistaken. No sooner had she joined Joshua at their table that she heard a very familiar laugh behind her. She didn't even need to look to know who it was_

_Tony DiNozzo._

Great_, she thought_, I thought I had recovered from him.

_She continued to ignore the couple behind her. She recognized the girl he was with, one of his fellow NCIS agents. Lisa? Tina? Something to that effect._

_A few minutes later they received their food in to go boxes, and stood up to leave. Jeanne could not help taking one last look._

_She looked at him in shock, awe, and recognition. He hadn't changed a bit. The look he gave her back, however, was very unfamiliar._

_He was actually angry at her. What could she have done?_

Jeanne snapped out of her memory.

"Well, that was very good judgement, but I am still going to need you to come to NCIS headquarters. I just need to fill you in on some things."

"Sure," Jeanne sighed. "I'll be there in an hour."

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**I thought that was an interesting turn of events. What do you think? Review with the good, the bad, and the ugly, please!**


	4. Fake

Chapter 4-Fake

Jenny paced back and forth across her office, worried that Jeanne would not keep her word. After all, NCIS _had _put her through hell not even a year ago.

Her phone rang and she leaped to answer it, "Shepard."

"Director, Miss Jeanne Benoit is here to see you," Cynthia said.

Jenny practically danced in relief. She told Cynthia calmly to send her in and took a seat at her desk. "Good morning, Jeanne. I am so sorry for the inconvenience."

Jeanne nodded and took a seat in front of the large mahogany desk. "Why am I here, Director?"

"How did you meet Joshua Tormetski?" Jenny asked her.

"I met him in a bar a week ago. What do Tony and...that woman have to do with Joshua?" she asked with a fierce tone at 'that woman'.

"I am sorry to say this, but you are going to have to stop seeing him for the time being."

"Excuse me, Director, but I don't think that my choice in men should effect you anymore!" Jeanne yelled, rising to her feet.

"Please, Miss Benoit--"

"_Doctor _Benoit. I am a doctor."

"Right, Dr. Benoit. This is more complicated than your taste in men."

"How? _What does this have to do with Tony?"_

"Tony is on assignment, along with Ziva. They are observing Joshua for me, as well as for the CIA."

"Why? What did he do to piss you guys off?" Jeanne asked defensively.

"Jeanne, I understand your anger with us. We have caused you more than enough pain, and we are extremely sorry. But please listen to me."

Jeanne nodded and took her seat.

Jenny continued, "I am sorry to say, but Joshua Tormetski, also known as the Fox, is an international arms dealer, and Tony and Ziv--"

"This _again_?! First my father, now my date?! This is absurd!"

"Believe me, Jeanne, we know. We would not be doing this to you if it weren't true. As I was saying, he is an international arms dealer. Tony and Ziva are undercover as a married couple that has just moved in next door to him. He lives in a very large mansion, so Tony and Ziva are Elliot and Candace Peterson, aristocrats."

It took Jeanne a minute to pick her jaw up off of the floor, so to say.

"Wow. Now what do I do?"

"I am afraid, since you have a personal connection with both our undercover agent and the object of our investigation, that you will have to come into NCIS custody for the time being."

"But I'm not a criminal!"

"Not that sort of custody. You will be staying with various NCIS agents for the time being. That also means not going into work. I will call...Monroe University Hospital, correct?"

"Not any longer. I took some time off from actual hospitals and worked in missionary hospitals. When I came back, my position was filled. Now I am working at the Children's National Medical Center."

"I will give them a call, don't worry about a thing. I will have one of my agents escort you home to pack some things, and then to their home. Everything will turn out fine."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tony awoke to the shrill ringing of his cell phone. He groaned, rolled over, and answered it.

"DiNozzo."

"It's Jenny. You and Ziva need to get into NCIS ASAP. I have already called your driver."

"Why?"

"Because I said so," she snapped, then hung up.

_Someone's pissed._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Twenty minutes later Ziva and Tony strolled into the bullpen, hand in hand.

"You aren't undercover here and this is an office building. Cut it out," Gibbs scolded, getting up from his desk. They quickly unintertwined their hands. "Now, you are needed in the conference room along with the director, McGee, Jeanne, and me. Let's go."

They followed him, confused. "Jeanne?" Tony asked.

"Yes, remember her? You saw her last night at that fancy rich people place," Gibbs snapped, still walking.

"Why is she here?" Tony asked.

"Gee, DiNozzo, I have no idea. Think about it for a second, it'll come to you," Gibbs said as they approached the conference room and slapped him upside the head.

They entered, took seats, and waited for Jenny to say something.

"Since no else is going to start us off, it seems we have a bit of a dilemma here," she started. All she received was nods from Jeanne, Tony, and Ziva.

"Dr. Benoit here has become associated with the object of our investigation. And since she has an association with our undercover agent and the agency itself, we need to take her into our custody for the time being. We cannot risk exposure or harm," she continued.

"So now what?" McGee asked.

"Dr. Benoit has agreed to come into our custody and stay with various NCIS agents and employees until the investigation is over."

"And who's first, Director?" Ziva asked out of curiosity.

"Special Agent Gibbs, would you please escort Jeanne to her apartment to gather her things and then to your place? You will take the rest of the day off, then bring her into work tomorrow," Gibbs nodded, and Jenny continued "She will be staying with Abby next." The look on everyone's face was pretty much the same, as well as their thoughts. _Abby? Jeanne? No way._

"That will be all," Jenny said, then stood up and left

Everyone else left within the minute, except for Tony, Ziva, and Jeanne.

"Ziva, could you give us a minute?" Tony asked. She nodded, got up, and left the room hastily, closing the door behind her.

"Jeanne, I am so sorry about this," he said, moving to the seat next to her.

"I know. But it's okay. I'm just destined to never fall in love again," she said with a pout.

He sighed dramatically, then said, "I'm very, very sorry. You know I loved you too."

"But you lied to me!"

"I had to. You know that. If I would have had it any other way, I wouldn't have. But I had to. And I tried so hard to keep myself detached. But I couldn't."

"And what about now?" she asked, finally meeting his eyes.

"I...I don't know Jeanne. I love Ziva now."

He might as well have stabbed her through the chest.

"You're in love with...her?"

"Yes, I am. I'm so, so sorry Jeanne."

"Sorry doesn't make it all better Tony! You're telling me that you don't feel _anything _for me?"

"No, that's not what I'm telling you. I'm telling you that we could never be involved again. I did love you. What we had was amazing. But it's over. I'm sorry."

Jeanne wanted to punch him and hug him at the same time.

"I...don't know what to say. Can we at least not keep on pretending to hate each other anymore? We both know that we don't."

"Of course."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Jeanne felt tears of anger fill up her eyes. _What am I doing? s_he thought. _I should be happy!_

But she wasn't. She was far from it, and those tears started to spill over uncontrollably. She couldn't help it.

Before she knew it she was sniffling and bawling like a child. Tony leaned over and wiped the tears lingering on her cheeks which made her cry so much harder.

"Jeanne, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you...It'll all be okay, it will work out, don't cry," he soothed, wrapping her in a hug. She sobbed harder and harder, now _really _unable to control it.

They sat there like that for several minutes; Jeanne sobbing, Tony soothing and hugging her. It was awfully awkward.

Finally, Jeanne was able to calm herself down and pulled out of Tony's embrace. She wiped her eyes and stood up, and Tony followed.

"Thank you Tony," she said, and hugged him one last time.

"Anytime," he said, and opened the door for her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ziva was standing at the door to the conference room, fidgeting. She was extremely wary of letting Tony alone with Jeanne, especially since their rocky ending. She had her ear pressed to the door but could barely hear anything.

Except, of course, for the scraping of the chairs as they got up, and their footsteps as they reached the door. She backed up against the opposite wall, making it look as if she was just standing there the whole time, waiting.

Tony, being a gentleman, opened the door and let Jeanne step out first. Her eyes were red and swollen, as if she'd been crying.

_Great, _she thought, _what did he do to her?_

He stepped out, closed the door, grabbed Ziva's hand, and led her and Jeanne down to the bullpen. Ziva could not help but be confused.

Once Jeanne left with Gibbs and the elevator was safely closed, Ziva asked, "What happened in there?"  
"We figured things out," was all he would say to her, no matter how much she pressed him.

An hour later they were still in the office, now down at Abby's lab.

"ZIVA! TONY!" Abby squealed, tackling them as soon as they set foot in her lab.

"Hi, Abby," Ziva mumbled casually, while Tony was rubbing his shoulder.

"So, how does it feel to be rich?" Abby asked bluntly.

"Amazing," Tony answered.

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By the time Tony and Ziva left NCIS HQ it was around dinner time, and they had the clear to meet the neighbors. They stopped at a McDonald's drive-through on the way home, upon Tony's insistence.

"_How _can you American's eat this...this _crap _so many times! It is repulsive!" Ziva had complained.

"Trust me, when you're raised on crap like this, it actually tastes appetizing after a while," Tony had answered.

Now they were in the bathroom, making themselves look halfway decent. Ziva was wearing dark-wash skinny jeans, a deep purple Tommy Hilfiger polo top, and pointy-toed Micheal Kors heels in the same color.

"_How _can women wear these _all _the time?! They are so impractical and uncomfortable," Ziva complained.

"Yes, but to the American women, appearance is all that matters," Tony responded, buttoning his gray Hugo sport shirt.

"People are so shallow," she huffed, then left the room.

They were ready and out the door ten minutes later.

They decided they'd just walk; well, Tony had decided. Ziva severely disagreed, due to the aristocrat's taste in shoes.

First they visited the house across the street.

The family that lived there seemed to be very shallow, typical of what you'd expect from rich people. The parents were both corporate lawyers who had twin girls around the age of seven. They acted more like snotty teenagers, though.

Next, they visited the house to the right of their own. The family that lived there was much nicer than the previous. The father was an heir of some kind, a step down from Paris Hilton he said. His wife was an elementary teacher and their 4-year-old daughter, Brittney, was adorable.

They saved Tormetski's house for last.

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They knocked on the huge doors several times and were extremely surprised that Joshua answered it himself. He must have been watching them.

"Good evening, I'm Elliot Peterson and this is my wife Candace. We just moved in next door and thought we'd introduce ourselves," Tony said, extending his hand.

Tormetski shook it, then also Ziva's hand, then said, "Pleasure to meet you. Care for a drink or two?"

Ziva and Tony both nodded and stepped over the threshold. Tony and Joshua launched right into a conversation about the architecture of the building and Ziva lagged behind. "I'm in," she whispered to Jenny and Abby through the microphone on her wrist.

"Okay," Abby said in her earwig. "Get me some good shots of his face."  
Ziva obliged and followed their voices and joined them in a sitting room. She sat next to Tony, who was drinking a dry vodka martini—which she personally hated—and said to Joshua, "You have a very nice house. I love the curtains. Silk?"

"Imported from China, yes. Could I get you anything to drink?"

"Um, a strawberry margarita would be nice," she said, choosing the first drink that came to mind. Asking for beer in an aristocrat's house would probably make Tormetski suspicious.

Tony held her hand and stroked the outside with his thumb as soon as Joshua left. "We'll be outta here soon," he reassured, mostly for himself.

She wanted to be out of more than just Joshua's house. She wanted to be out of this neighborhood, out of this ridiculous costume, and out of the mask she wore. She no longer wanted to be the woman that Tony fell in love with. She wanted to be the original Ziva David.

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**Sorry for how long this is, I didn't even notice how much I was writing until i was almost done. Also sorry for the long wait, school just started and such.**

**Watch the 2-hour Bones Season 4 Premiere tonight on FOX at 8 PM!!**


	5. Gone

Chapter Five-Gone

"You heard me, Agent DiNozzo! The mission needs to be temporarily aborted!" Jenny yelled into Tony's ear.

"I don't understand, ma'am. Ziva wouldn't just up and go like this. What could be wrong?" he asked, pacing the bedroom, clad only in boxers and slippers. He awoke early this morning expecting Ziva to be lying next to him. He rolled over, and her side of the bed was neatly made and she was nowhere to be seen. He called her cell a thousand times until he found the note she left him on the refrigerator:

_Dearest Tony,_

_ I am very sorry to abandon you so suddenly, but I need to leave. You don't know why, and you don't need to. Trust me, it was nothing you did. If anything you are completely perfect and I do not deserve you. Trust me, I don't. Please forgive me. I will be back in your arms sooner than you think._

_ All my love,_

_Ziva._

The first thing he did when he received this note was sit down at the counter for fear of fainting. He was clearly in shock. Then, he called the Director, who was demanding to abort the mission.

"You don't understand her, Tony. You may think you do. But trust me, there is more to Ziva than meets the eye."

"Uh, you think? I already knew that, Jenny."

"Then you will understand what I am trying to say to you. She had a very good reason to leave. Please come back to the office, ASAP," she said, then hung up.

He stared at the phone for a few minutes. He couldn't believe it. Ziva had left him.

He locked himself in the bathroom, turned on the shower and actually felt a tear trickle down his cheek. Pathetic.

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Ziva stared out the window of the cab she was in. She couldn't believe she had done this. As necessary as it was, she still hated it. No matter who she really was, she loved Tony with all her heart. She hated to cause him pain.

She felt a tear trickle down her cheek and abruptly wiped it away. "You can let me out here," she told the cab driver and pulled out her wallet. She paid and tipped him, got out, and started walking down the street. She had no idea where she was; she was pretty sure it was downtown Baltimore. She had been riding in that cab for hours.

She had been in worse situations, she would make it through this.

She was pretty much in a daze all day until she stumbled across the Baltimore Police Department. Sadly, the building brought thoughts of Tony to her mind. She shook her head over and over, but his voice would not stop ringing in her ears.

She kept walking until she reached a bus stop. She boarded the bus, paid the fee, and took a seat near the front.

Eventually she reached her apartment, but was wary of going inside. Would Tony be there? It was likely.

She didn't care anymore. She had to face him eventually.

She pulled her key out of her pocket, stuck it in the lock, and turned.

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Tony sat at his desk at NCIS HQ with his forehead resting against his keyboard. He hadn't spoken to anyone since he came into the building.

He picked up his head and a cup of coffee was sitting on his desk. He smiled; McGee. Always trying to be the good guy. He sighed and got up, considering trying to find him. He instead made his way up the stairs and to the director's office.

He didn't even bother to check in with Cynthia, who yelled at him for doing so. He walked right into Jenny's office, interrupting her phone call.

"I will have to call you back. Stay where you are," she said, then hung up.

She stood up, walked around her desk and joined him on the other side of it. "In case you are interested, that was Ziva."

His heart sunk. "Wh-what?"

"Yes, it was Ziva. She walked from your undercover mansion for about five miles, then called a cab who drove her around for hours and she ended up in downtown Baltimore where she caught a bus outside the police department, which she rode for a while until she reached the D.C. Area where she walked to her apartment. She didn't even go in there but instead started running. She ran for about ten miles then caught a bus that took her to somewhere in rural Virginia. She's a mess, Tony.'

Tony grabbed the edge of her desk to steady himself. After a few cautious, deep breaths he said, "What time did she leave?"

"About four this morning. She just called from a pay phone and asked me to go pick her up. I suggest you stay here."

He nodded as she grabbed her coat, keys, wallet, and side holster.

"Are you expecting trouble?" he asked, suspiciously raising his eyebrows.

"Always expect trouble, Tony. Then you may not get yourself in it."

**Sorry for the long wait, I promise that you will never have to wait this long again! Thank you to those readers that remain faithful :**


	6. Return

Chapter Six-Return

Ziva sat on the ground against the outside wall of the gas station she finally stopped at. She had just got off the phone with Jenny, who was on her way. She couldn't believe she had done this to herself.

She promised herself she would never let herself fall apart again. The mere thought of Tony brought tears to her eyes; she could not believe what she had done. She left him out of nowhere, completely abandoned him during an undercover mission. She had not only risked his heart, but also his life, as well as her career and her own integrity. She would be shocked if Gibbs would ever let her do anything besides the mundane ever again.

She had not even noticed it had started to get dark out until Jenny's limousine pulled up and it's headlights shined on her. Jenny emerged from the back and knelt at Ziva's side.

"I think it's about time you come home now, Ziva. You have caused Tony enough anguish. It's about time he knows what's holding you back," she whispered soothingly.

Ziva nodded, wiped away the tears she had let escape, stood up, and followed Jenny into her limo. It was going to be a long night.

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Tony was pacing Jenny's office, waiting patiently for her and Ziva's return. He needed to see Ziva again. He needed to know what was wrong.

After about three hours--which felt more like an eternity--the office doors opened. He spun around to see Ziva running towards him. She threw her arms around his neck and nearly knocked him over. He hugged her back, then released her. "Where's Jenny?" he asked.

"Giving us some privacy," she answered, grabbing his hand and pulling him ovver to the large leather chairs in front of the director's desk. He sat in one, she sat on his lap and kissed him lightly on the lips. "We really, really need to talk," she whispered against his lips, and pulled away.

He just nodded, encouraging her to start telling her story.

She sighed, then began. "About 10 years ago, I was reunited with the man I dated all through high school. Long story short, we fell in love all over again. He then told me that he was terminally ill. I was naive about it; I didn't care. He was my first true, intense love. I was willing to do anything and everything for him, just to be with him. We...we were foolish. We got married, even though he was told he only had about three months left. About a week before he died he was in the hospital...I can remember everything he said to me, word for word. He said," she sighed, " 'I need you to promise me something.' And of course I said that I would do anything for him because I loved him. Then he said to me, 'I want you to promise me that you will never love again after me. I need to know that I will be the only one in your heart, forever and always.' And of course I was foolish and promised him, and then he died." Her last few words were a whisper.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and started to cry. He wrapped his arms around her and tried to calm her down. He had never seen her cry like this.

Once she was calm enough to speak, she said, "I don't want to betray his promise, because I really did love him, but I can't mourn him forever. Every time I get involved in a relationship I find a way to get out of it, but I couldn't do that with you Tony. I thought I could deal with it, but I can't...I can't do this by myself anymore."

"Ziva, you don't have to do this alone. You always have me, you know that," Tony reassured her.

"I know, I know. Well, now I know. I just...was unsure. But now I know that I can come to you with anything. I am so, so, so, so, SO sorry about this," she said, then rested her head on his shoulder.

He could not believe she would lose such control of her emotions like this, but more than anything he wanted her to be okay.

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Abby was about to kill the overemotional _girl _sleeping in her living room.

All Jeanne wanted to talk about was Tony. How he acted when they were together, how much Abby knew about their relationship, and then she wanted to clue her in on all that she didn't know. The director had basically just put her through hell.

But soon she would be taking her back into work to hand off to the next victim.

Mwahahaha.

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After the director gave them the okay, Tony and Ziva returned to their mansion as Elliot and Candace Peterson. Their "doorman", AKA an undercover agent on assignment to provide extra security, said that Tormetski stopped by. The doorman said that he told them Tony and Ziva had gone out for the night and not returned. Ziva called Jenny, who told them to remain in their house until he dropped by again.

"How do you know he will?" Ziva asked.

"Because he knows," she answered.

**Soooooooooo sorry for the long wait! If anyone still even reads this. My computer broke and then I just kind of got away from writing, but I'm back!**

**Read and review, please!**


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